What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
by jacksamillion
Summary: Jackie takes a trip down memory lane, stumbling across relics of her past, and remembering her high school adventures with her friends in Eric Forman's basement. Chapter 11 is rated M.
1. September

I love That 70s Show and am so happy for all the writers here who have created content about the characters. It's inspired me to try myself. This is my first story fan fiction ever so I would appreciate any feedback and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: September

 _Do you remember the  
21st night of September?  
Love was changing the minds of pretenders  
While chasing the clouds away_

-Point Place, 1999-

Jackie blinked; her eyes opened as she listened carefully for noises of anything but quickly realized the house was quiet. This was the first time all week she had woken up feeling well rested. She sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed, stretching out her stiff body as she peaked at the clock seeing it was just past nine. She made her way out to the kitchen eventually and smelled brewed coffee. She smiled to herself as she poured herself a cup. She noticed a note on the counter:

 _Jackie,_

 _I took the kids to the store with me._

 _I'll take them shopping for school supplies later._

 _Enjoy your day._

 _Love you_

The past few weeks had been stressful. The kids had been home on summer vacation and she was working on opening a new store in the town over. As much as she loved her job and her family she welcomed a few hours of peace and silence. She noticed a stack of mail on the counter and casually flipped through it before coming to an envelope from Point Place High School. She assumed it was for her oldest baby who was starting freshman year at Point Place, but upon opening it she realized it was a letter inviting her to her 20th high school reunion. She smiled to herself again thinking of how much it should freak her out that she had graduated from high school 20 years ago, but it didn't. She also knew she wouldn't go. She tossed the letter into the trash as she started to think back to her high school days.

She walked down the hall to her room and stopped to look at the pictures lining the walls. She had some great memories from high school and others she would like to forget. She assumed that everyone for the most part felt that way. She stopped on a cluster of pictures from her past. The first one was a graduation picture, but not her own. Jackie had started dating Michael sometime during the end of her freshman year or maybe it was the beginning of sophomore year… it was hard to remember. And with Michael came his whole gang of friends. It was their graduation. The day they missed their graduation ceremony after a horrible night camping. The day Fez and Laurie got married. The weekend Jackie made Michael and Steven stumble around the woods trying to fight for her love. _Good god, she thought, why did anyone put up with me?_ Despite Jackie being a cheerleader, popular, gorgeous, and smart she had somehow been reluctantly accepted into a group of older misfits. Going to her high school reunion would be pointless since none of her friends, the ones that all her memories of those years included, would be there.

Her eyes fell on the next picture. It was the gang in Forman's basement. Ms. Forman had gotten a new camera and wanted to take pictures of just about everything, everyone, all the time. Jackie knew they were all high as fuck in this picture but they all looked so happy. Eric was sitting on the back of the couch and Donna was nestled between his knees, looking up at him grinning. Hyde was sitting in his chair as usual but his arm was stretched across to the couch so he could lay his hand on Jackie's knee. She had her legs tucked under and was sitting up on her heels with her arms crossed. She was smirking at Steven. Michael was sitting in the lawn chair sucking on a popsicle and Fez was squished in between Jackie and Donna with a candy bar in each hand and grinning wide for the camera. She was thankful Ms. Forman had made copies of the pictures and framed them. They had each gotten a different picture every Christmas for years.

Jackie finally made it back to her bedroom and shed the old t-shirt she was wearing and pulled a big sweater over her head and tugged on a pair of leggings, hooking the loops under her heels. She thought she should take a trip down memory lane while she was already half way there. She pulled a chair into her closet and stood on top to reach a box at the very back of the shelf. She knew her yearbooks were inside and a few photograph books among some other random things she had kept after all these years.

She pulled her yearbooks off of the top to get to the good stuff. She first found a pink photo album with a unicorn on the front and cringed a little. She knew this album was filled with pictures of her and Michael. She hadn't looked at it in years and was a little curious what kind of pictures she would find. The first picture was of Michael posing in a dress. She couldn't help but start laughing as she remembered the night Michael let her put make up on him. Michael had hurt her so many times but they did have a lot of fun together. The next picture was of them after a football game; Jackie was wearing her green and white cheerleader uniform and Michael's face was all blurry. Jackie was fairly certain Steven had gotten him drunk under the bleachers during the game and he couldn't stop laughing in the pictures they had taken.

The next picture was another one from Eric Forman's basement with the date in the corner letting Jackie know it was the time they had gotten back together after the series of tests Jackie had given him. Michael was sitting at the far end of the couch nearest to the door with Jackie sitting in his lap, her head thrown back in laughter as Michael kissed her neck. Eric and Donna were sitting next to them looking a little grossed out. But what caught Jackie's eye, something she hadn't noticed before was that Fez was standing behind the couch looking at Steven. And Steven was looking at her. He looked angry and sad and heartbroken all at once.

Her heart hurt, everything came rushing back to her. That chilly November night, Steven by her side on the hood of her Daddy's car, his arm slung around her back. She still remembered that first kiss like it had just happened. She had only kissed a few boys before Steven but she remembered thinking she couldn't possibly have another kiss in her life like that one. She was so scared of how much she liked him, loved him even. She just knew he didn't feel that way about her and she couldn't imagine how badly it would hurt for him to break her heart. Every time Michael had hurt her it had been awful, but Steven… So she had told him she hadn't felt anything and he had told her the same. She pushed him out of her mind and she let Michael back into her life. Looking at his face, Jackie wondered if he had lied to her that night. She flipped through the book and found more candid pictures of the group, pictures of her with Michael, and of Steven looking at her.

She had never noticed before.


	2. Time

Chapter 2: Time

 _"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day  
_ _You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way  
_ _Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town  
_ _Waiting for someone or something to show you the way  
_ _Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain  
_ _You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today  
_ _And then on day you find ten years have got behind you  
_ _No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"_

-Jackie's Closet, Point Place, 1999-

Jackie closed the book and set it aside. She wasn't sure why she felt so terrible; everything had worked out in the end.  
She was happy.  
Steven was happy.  
Michael was happy.  
But she felt stupid still, over 20 years later, knowing she had made the wrong choice lying to Steven, lying to Michael, and lying to herself. She looked in the box reaching for some happy memories or at least ones that didn't feel so confusing.

Next, she found a folder with a rainbow across the front and Ms. Steven Hyde written on the back in different styles of cursive and print. She opened it up to find an assortment of discolored papers, all hand written notes, and one formal letter. She pulled the letter out and realized it was her SAT scores. A 1486. Jackie was still proud to this day. Despite only appearing to care about her looks and cheerleading and finding a rich husband, Jackie had worked very hard in school. She didn't let it on but she enjoyed learning. When she was learning to read her father would let her sit in his study with him at night and practice and as she entered school and began excelling he was always proud of his daughter's excellent grades. It had motivated her and she knew now part of the reason she worked so hard was to get his attention.

However the day she got her scores she didn't know whom to show. Her dad was in prison and her mom, who could have cared less anyways, was away as usual. Jackie remembered tucking them into her purse and heading to Forman's house. She had kept quiet while everyone was hanging out in the basement that day. Steven noticed and later when they were alone he asked her if she was okay. She proudly showed him the letter. He beamed. He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes

"See Jackie you don't need me and my SAT scores you're a fucking genius, doll"  
He kissed her on the nose as she pouted.

"Steven, you know what this means. We are a power couple. Hot and smart. I knew we were but now we have the digits to prove it!"  
She waved her paper in the air, threw her arms around his neck, and smiled as her lips met his.

Steven had applied to colleges for Jackie after finding out how good her SAT scores were. He knew Jackie wouldn't do it herself. She had some backwards ideas about how her life should go, Her parents had never encouraged her to go to college or think about her having a real career and her mother always told her it was what women did who didn't have men to marry. A waste of youth her mother had called it. Jackie was accepted to every single school Steven had applied to. When he had presented her with all her acceptance letters she didn't know what to say.

"Steven, I don't understand"

"Jackie, listen to me. You need to do this. College wasn't for me but I think it is for you. You have always had big dreams for yourself. You can't stay here."

"But Steven, what about us? Do you want me to leave? What about our future?"

"What about us? You think going to college means we can't be together? Doll, I've told you I'm happy how things are between us nothing is going to change that."

"But Steven… I can't afford to go to college. All the money my dad had put aside for me is gone."

"I know Jackie. I've been saving up money since I started applying for you. I have a good job at Grooves and every place you got in has a store in the same town or nearby."

Jackie went and visited all the schools before deciding on University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Milwaukee was home to the Grooves headquarters and Jackie was very impressed with the school's business program. Jackie and Steven moved into a small apartment in the fall of 1980. Steven continued to drive back to Point Place to run the Grooves and the other part of the time he worked with W.B. and Angie at the headquarters. Jackie majored in business and started working part time at a local boutique. Steven told her she needed to get a job at a business that interested her since she had decided on that as a major. And what went together better than Jackie and clothes and telling other people what they should wear.

Hell, she had been telling Donna what to wear for years… not that she ever listened.


	3. How Many More Times

The store line is going to skip around a bit. I plan on going back and forth to events that occur within the story line of the show and after. I debated whether to break the cannon on Season 8 or not. I really hate it so this chapter moves away from Season 8. This story briefly touches on Eric and Donna. I decided to stick with the basic cannon from Season 8 for their relationship so you can assume that Eric still went to Africa and things were up in the air with him and Donna. Please let me know what you think and feel free to share any suggestions! 

Chapter 3: How Many More Times

 _"How many more times, treat me the way you wanna do  
When I give you all my love, please, please be true  
I'll give you all I've got to give, rings, pearls, and all  
I've got to get you together baby, I'm sure, sure you're gonna crawl_

 _How many more times, barrel house all night long  
Well I've got to get to you, baby, oh, please come home  
Why don't you listen to me, babe  
Why don't you please come home"_

Jackie sat the papers down next to her, picked up her coffee cup, and laid her head down against the wall in the closet. Like she had found with most things in life that get close to your heart— there is both joy and pain. The little corner apartment held memories of tender kisses, earth shattering sex, slammed doors, and lonely nights. She remembered the small kitchen table they had found at a thrift store where Jackie had spent late nights studying.  
The table where Steven would leave her notes scribbled on the back of receipts and paper he had pulled from her notebooks.  
The table where she and Steven would have their own little circles.  
The table where Steven left her the note saying he was leaving.

Jackie had kept it all. She was sentimental to a fault. She had even kept the damn unicorn Michael had given her after ignoring her for an entire week the first time they had sex. It had disappeared at some point, she was fairly certain Steven had thrown it out. Her friends had all chastised her for how many photos she took when she got her first camera and even more after her first baby had been born.

Jackie knew the notes were in this folder, all of them. She didn't quite understand what had made her keep them all and what made her want to read them now after all these years.

 _Jackie,  
Don't spend too much time getting ready. You'll look great and you don't want to be late on the first day. I'm so proud of you doll. Kick ass kid. _

_Jackie  
I ate all the cereal. Sorry! I'll buy more tonight and make dinner.  
Love you, Steven_

 _Can't stop thinking about last night.  
Let's do it all over again tonight, what do you say doll?_

 _Good luck on your first test!  
Stay zen young grasshopper and then kick some ass._

 _Jackie,  
I have to work late, I'll spend the night at the Formans.  
See you tomorrow doll  
Love you_

The first year had been tough on the both of them. Jackie took full loads of classes hoping to finish earlier. She wanted so badly to graduate so her and Steven could get married. She knew he was determined for her to focus on school and her career first. He believed in her.

Steven worked hard too. He drove to Point Place often to take care of his store there; he didn't want to give it up when they had moved. He also started taking on more responsibility at the headquarters even though he disliked the corporate side of things and being around Angie. Jackie knew he missed his friends. Fez still lived in Point Place, working at the salon and pining after Laurie. But Michael had moved to Chicago to be with Betsy and Brooke and Eric was in Africa. Donna had finally decided to go to college. She had actually moved to Milwaukee as well to attend Marquette. While they saw Donna often it wasn't the same for Steven; Donna was more Jackie's friend as the years had gone by anyways.

Steven had put a brave face on but after a while it had started to wear him down. Jackie began noticing that he spent more and more time in Point Place. And she spent more and more nights alone.

She remembered coming home one night after getting off work to find any empty house. It was after the start of her second year at UWM. She went to the table expecting to find a note but there was none. Her bags fell to the floor as she slumped into the kitchen chair. She grabbed the phone off the wall above her head and dialed Steven's office number. No answer. Next she tried Kitty and Red Forman's house. Kitty told her Steven had come by and ate dinner with them but he had left after that. Kitty thought he was going home but it had been 3 hours since he had left, plenty of time for him to make it back to their apartment.

Jackie lit a joint and tipped her head back as tears rolled out from the corners of her eyes and made their way back into her hair. She realized she had barely seen Steven in weeks.

Jackie reached up to her eyes realizing she was crying now as all the memories flooded her mind. That night had been the start of the fighting. Once Steven reappeared the next day all Jackie had done was yell at him. He smelled of alcohol and weed. His clothes looked disheveled and his hair was a mess. She asked him if had been with another girl. He exploded with anger not understanding how she could have even thought such a thing. He slammed the door on his way out leaving Jackie in the middle of the living room with tears running down her face.  
He didn't come back that night, or the next, or the next.

She found him sitting at the table smoking a joint. He had been waiting for her. She sat down across from him.

"I'm unhappy Jackie. I hate driving to and from Point Place all the time and I hate all the corporate bullshit I have to deal with while I'm here. We don't even see each other that much."

"Steven, this was all your idea not mine. You wanted me to go to college. You wanted us to leave Point Place."

"I know Jackie! Damn it don't you think I know that. I still want you to be here, I want you to finished school."

"But you're going to leave aren't you?"

"I don't know yet… You know Eric is coming back home at the end of December and Michael and Brooke moved back to Point Place."

"God, is that what this all about? You want to go back so you can relive your glory days with your idiot friends in Eric Forman's basement?"

"Jackie we are both miserable. I just want us both to be happy."

"Steven, please."

Jackie got up and crossed over to him, sitting down on his lap with tears lightly running down her face. She cradled his face with one hand as she began to kiss him lightly on his cheek and then moved to his lips. Steven wrapped his arms around her as their lips met again. It was sad and passionate. He carried her to their bed as she sobbed into his shoulder. He made love to her and wrapped his arms around her as she fell asleep. She had told him she loved him over and over again as he had kissed her neck and thrust inside her.

The next morning she woke up and realized once more she was alone. She found the longest note Steven had ever written her in the center of their table.

 _Jackie,_

 _I can't let myself keep hurting you like this.  
I've paid the rent on the apartment for the next year. You should be done with school by then if you stick with your plan. I'm going to move back in with the Forman's for now.  
If I stay here we will keep fighting and I don't want to be the reason you cry anymore.  
It will be better this way I promise.  
_ _I love you doll_

He also left a paper bag on the counter. That night Jackie and Donna drank wine and got stoned. They laughed for hours and played loud disco music and ate pizza. Later Donna held her as she cried, knowing all too well the feeling of someone walking out on you and the plans they had been the one to make in the first place.


	4. Uptown Girl

I hope you guys are liking the story so far! I've been having a lot of fun writing it. Again I'm going to be skipping back and forth in time but hopefully it makes sense without giving specific years or dates. Let me know if it gets too confusing! This chapter is a little shorter but the next one is longer! I'm really excited about that one!

Chapter 4: Uptown Girl

 _You know I can't afford to buy her pearls  
But maybe someday when my ship comes in  
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been  
And then I'll win_

Jackie stuffed the notes back into the folder and closed it. She wasn't sure why her heart hurt all over again. Or why tears were suddenly streaming down her face. It had been almost 20 years since Steven left her that note. It was the past. It shouldn't be hurting her any longer. She rifled through the box as she wiped her face and pulled out a wadded up piece of tin foil. She rocked back on her heels holding the ball in her hands. Maybe it had made it in the box by accident?

She carefully unfolded it wondering if it was protecting something inside. It was empty except for ketchup and mustard stains. She realized it was the wrapper for a hamburger. She had kept a wrapper for a hamburger. _Why the fuck did I keep this?_ Jackie wracked her brain as she stared at the shiny foil. She began to think of how she had made crafts with her kids using tin foil. They had made disco balls and shiny charms for necklaces. _SHINY! The first thing Steven ever bought me! A cheeseburger wrapped in tin foil…_

Jackie still loved shiny things. She stretched her left arm out and watched her diamond shimmer in the dim light of the closet. It reminded her of bad bar lighting which for some reason always made her ring sparkle in a special way.

She looked back to the tin foil and smiled as she crunched it back up in a ball. Those were the early days. They couldn't keep their hands off each other and when they weren't making out or hiding out in Steven's basement room they were bickering. Jackie remembered how exhilarating those first few months had been.

She had confronted Steven one day about being a cheap asshole and using lame excuses to get out of buying her jewelry. He asked if she would settle for a cheeseburger wrapped in tin foil and she had agreed. Steven bought them each a burger and a soda and they shared a basket of fries.

Jackie asked him questions about government conspiracies she knew he was always rambling about. Steven talked her ear off all night and held her hand as they walked back to the El Camino. He drove her home with his arm around her shoulder and kissed her at every stoplight. When they pulled into Jackie's driveway he got out and opened her door for her, proceeding to push up against it after she got out.

He kissed her gently and sweetly at first but then it became more heated as she opened her lips to his and felt him begin to explore her mouth. He kissed her neck and nibbled on her ear. She could still feel his hot breath as he whispered, "Doll, someday I'm going to give you the world." When he pulled away she could barely see his face in the dark but she could have sworn there was a sheepish smile on his face. She remembered falling asleep that night in her big empty house but not feeling alone at all. Someday she thought she was going to marry Steven Hyde and never be alone.


	5. Tiny Dancer

Okay, I think this is my favorite chapter so far! I hope you like it as much as I do. Please let me know what you think!  
PS. Every chapter is named after a song, although I'm sure you've noticed. I feel like they all fit really well with the chapter's story and I listen to the song a few times as I write... so if you really want to get into it listen to the song too!

Chapter 5: Tiny Dancer

Jackie wandered back out into her house as she thought about her and Steven's relationship. She thought about that first kiss that had terrified her, sent electricity up her spine and down into her toes and made her insides tickle. She thought about their second kiss. She was prepared or so she thought. She didn't want to run away this time and before she knew it Steven wasn't just her make out buddy he was her boyfriend, her lover, her friend. Sometimes Jackie wondered if they had fallen in love when they were older if things would have turned out differently. They had been so immature.

Steven was jealous of her past relationship with Michael, which lead him to cheating on her with some skanky nurse. And she often pushed him to do things that were so antithetical to him as a person.

She stopped and looked at her wedding photo. Her nostalgic feelings reminded her of when Steven had caught her at the mall with Eric in a wedding dress. He told her she looked beautiful. She remembered changing back into her clothes, debating in her mind whether she should go find him or give him space. But when she walked out of the store he was waiting for her. They walked in silence to his car but Jackie couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Steven then proceeded to drive right out of town. He didn't say anything and neither did Jackie.

She fell asleep on his shoulder, soothed by the music coming from the radio and the smell of Steven. She woke up a few hours later and looked around. The sun had begun to set and she realized Steven had pulled the car into a diner parking lot.

"Come on lets go eat"

Jackie was still silent as Steven led them to a relatively secluded booth near the back of the diner. She realized how hungry she was as she started to order- pancakes, sunny side up eggs, toast, bacon, and a strawberry milkshake. Steven shook his head at her and smiled as she began scarfing down her food.

"Okay kid, lay it on me."

"What? What's going on Steven? Why did you drive hours to bring me to a diner? I mean I do appreciate the food… shopping with Eric made me hungry."

"Jackie, we're in Canada."

"Canada? Like the country?"

"Yes the country! Jesus Christ… you have no idea do you…"

"OH. MY. GOD."

"Jackie…"

She slammed her hands on the table.

"STEVEN. YOU SAW ME IN A WEDDING DRESS AND YOU BROUGHT ME TO CANADA BECAUSE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR WEDDING!"

Steven didn't say anything. He just took his glasses off, clipped them on his shirt, crossed his arms and leaned back into the booth. God his blue eyes were so beautiful and piercing, they were so full of expression unlike the rest of Steven's face. She could see in his eyes he was happy, he was excited, he was in love with her.

Jackie remembered babbling on and on about the season, the location, the colors of the flowers. She wanted a spring wedding, outside in a beautifully manicured park or behind Jackie's mansion, and pink and sage pastel colors. She talked about what all their friends would do in the wedding. Donna would be her maid of honor and Eric would be his best man. She imagined that Fez would also want to stand on her side so he could have Kelso. Mr. Forman could walk her down the isle since she didn't know when her dad would be out of prison and he had become a father to both of them. She told him about how she would let him wear a bolo tie instead of a real tie if he wanted and he could wear his glasses at the reception but not during the ceremony.

"What about the song?"

"The song?" She realized it was the first thing he had said since she had started talking.

"Yeah, what song are we going to have our first dance to?"

Jackie's mouth fell open. Her eyes widened. She realized she had no idea.

"Uhhmmm…."

Steven chuckled and slid out from the booth. She watched him walk over to the jukebox and flip through looking for a song. He slid a quarter in and she began to hear the smooth sound of piano music. He walked back over to their table and reached his hand out to her. He pulled her up out of the booth, held her hand to his chest, and wrapped the other one around her body pulling her close.

She felt his lips against her ear and he began to sing softly to her.

 _"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band_

 _Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man_

 _Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand_

 _And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand"_

They danced in the middle of the diner. Steven sang to her and held her body close against him. He smiled down at her and kissed the tip of her nose as the song ended.

"Someday Jackie. Not now, but someday."

Jackie nodded.

On the drive home they weren't silent. They talked and laughed and sang to the radio. Jackie watched the signs as they drove and when she knew they were getting close to the border she turned to Steven.

"One last thing Steven. My ring, it better be big and shiny."

Jackie watched as they passed the sign. "WELCOME TO WISCONSIN"

She swore to herself she would work on appreciating the moment more and stop worrying about the future so much. Steven said someday and that's all she ever wanted, someday.


	6. The Longest Time

Hi everyone, a reviewer commented that the text was messed up so I hope it's fixed now! As with the other stories this jumps around in time as Jackie is remembering different memories from the past. There are years in the story to let you keep track of what's going on.

Chapter 6: The Longest Time

 _"I had second thoughts at the start  
I said to myself  
Hold on to your heart  
Now I know the woman that you are  
You're wonderful so far  
And it's more than I hoped for_

 _I don't care what consequence it brings  
I have been a fool for lesser things  
I want you so bad  
I think you ought to know  
That I intend to hold you for the longest time"_

Jackie reached up and felt tears on her cheeks again but she also felt a smile creep across her face. They were happy tears from a happy memory. She wanted to try her best to focus on the happy memories. It was hard at times when they were all wrapped up with the ugly ones.

She found her way back to the kitchen, opening the fridge over and over trying to figure out what she was looking for. She finally settled on a bowl of cereal, which she carried to the living room to eat. She sat down in the middle of the couch, her eyes fixed on the small shadow boxes hanging on the wall across from her. Each one had a set of dried flowers in it; she had started making them when she was younger. She couldn't remember quite how she got the idea or who taught her; she figured she must have read it in a magazine.

The first box held three red roses her father had given her on the one and only date he had ever taken his daughter on. She must have been 12 or 13. She had come home from school in tears and her father happened to be home early, having just flown in from a business trip. Jackie had fallen madly in love, or what she thought was madly in love, with Bobby Cooper. He walked her home everyday from school and kissed her quickly on the lips outside of Spanish class. But that day, she saw him holding hands and walking with a tall blonde girl after school. She had fallen in a weeping mess on the floor right inside the door of her house, that's where her father had found her. He had picked her up, dried the tears off her face, and asked her to go to dinner with him.

Jackie put on her best dress and stole a little makeup from her mother's bathroom and curled the ends of her hair. When she came downstairs her father handed her a dozen roses and kissed her on the cheek. She sat in the front seat of his Cadillac and he played Frank Sinatra. Jackie decided right then and there that she wanted a man just like her father. A perfect gentleman.

Her eyes skipped a few boxes and fell on the red and white roses. In was her bouquet from Donna and Eric's wedding. They had finally gotten married about Eric returned from Africa and profusely apologized to Donna. He had truly grown up, becoming supportive of Donna going to school and encouraging her to pursue her career goals. While Jackie openly berated Eric for leaving her best friend at the alter, she secretly thought it was for the best they hadn't gotten married then. Eric proposed to Donna again at their college graduation party and the couple wed a few months later in the fall of 1982.

Jackie remembered how happy she had been for her two friends. As much as Jackie had imagined grand illusions of her being the one to marry her high school sweetheart, whether that had been Michael or Steven she was still unsure, Donna and Eric were the real deal. They were each other's first kiss, first "I love you", first fight, first lay, first everything.

-Eric Forman's House, November 1982, Donna and Eric's Wedding-

"Steven! Eric isn't in his room! He didn't bolt again did he? If he did I'm going to kick his scrawny ass."

"Calm down Jackie, he's in the basement. Why are you looking for him? Didn't you say getting Donna ready for her wedding was a full time job?"

Jackie slapped his arm  
"Donna wrote Eric a letter and wanted me to deliver it since she can't see him before the wedding."

"Good god isn't this day mushy enough, Eric's already cried like four times."

"Steven, you are being ridiculous. This is the happiest most special day of their entire lives." She smirked at him, "when you get married don't you think there will be confessions of love you want to make to your wife that you don't want other people to hear? I can't imagine fitting everything I want to say into wedding vows…"

Steven winked at her and tried to wrap his arm around her waist to pull her close to him.  
"Yeah all the dirty things I'm going to do to her between the wedding and reception."

Jackie smacked him on the face with the letter.  
"STEVEN! Just make sure Eric gets this, will you?"

She quickly pecked him on the cheek before running out of the kitchen back to the Pinciotti house.

In high school, Jackie could have never imagined considering her two best friend's wedding one of the happiest days of her life but it was. Jackie could still remember the feel of Steven's hand on her arm as he walked her down the isle toward a very nervous and teary-eyed Eric. Jackie could still remember watching Donna walk down the isle and her beginning to tear up her self. As the ceremony progressed and the vows were spoken, Jackie and Steven kept stealing glances at each other and Jackie felt herself looking forward to walking back down the isle with him just so she could feel his touch.

The ceremony ended, Eric pulled Donna in for a kiss, Jackie could hear Ms. Forman and Bob crying in the background. She felt herself let out a joyous scream as she threw her bouquet up in the air at the same time that Steven pulled a bottle of champagne out and opened it spraying the contents over the newly married couple and Fez and Kelso set off rose petal filled grenades. They had made sure to let the photographer know of their plan, it sure made one kickass picture as Michael had called it at the time.

On the way back down the isle, Steven smiled at her and she could see his eyes sparkling from behind his glasses.

"What do you think about someday, doll?"

Jackie looked straight ahead but pulled him a little closer. Neither of them had ever mentioned that night. Steven had said and done only a few things since they had begun dating to indicate he wanted to marry her someday. She could count them all on her hand.

Someday. That had been the very first time. She was a little surprised to hear him say it again. Steven wanted her. He wanted back everything he had lost and he wanted more. Little did he know, he had never truly lost her. Jackie couldn't think of a time where she had stopped loving him. She had always wanted him.  
Someday. Everyday. Forever.


	7. Time After Time

So sorry for such a long wait on the next chapter. I was applying for PhD programs and honestly felt a little uninspired because of  
some recent events with some of the show's actors... Anyways I'm back! Let me know how you like this chapter :D

Chapter 7: Time After Time

 _If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
_ _Time after time  
_ _If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting  
_ _Time after time_

Jackie thought about how strong she had been after Steven left. She had her few nights of feeling like absolute garbage. Crying in Donna's arms or when she woke up in the morning. Feeling numb as she walked to class or stood in the shower. She had called the Forman's every night and hung up when she heard a voice on the other end. Jackie typically would have shown up and yelled and screamed at Steven but this time she couldn't bring herself to do it.

One afternoon after class about a week after Steven had left, Jackie finally agreed to study with a boy from her class who had been asking her all semester. She found him annoying and he looked a lot like Michael… but Jackie couldn't bear the thought of going home again to her empty apartment. So she agreed and regretted it as they walked home. Tad, that was his name. _What a dumb name. Fitting for such a dumb person._ Jackie was silent as he chatted her ear off the whole way.

They sat at her little kitchen table. They studied. Tad talked. Jackie thought of Steven and the nights they had spent sitting at the table.

A few hours later, the pair heard the lock on the front door. Jackie froze, her heart began to race, she realized as she laced her finger together her palms were clammy. The door opened and there was Steven. She could instantly see his jaw line become tense and his hands tighten into a fist as he saw the very Kelso look alike Tad sitting in his house. Jackie stood up.

"Steven! You're home?" Jackie gestured back to the table, "This is Tad, he's in one of my classes. We are studying for a test. Tad this is Steven, he's um…. my um…."

"Boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. Nice to meet you, Tad was it?"

Steven sat down in his chair and Jackie noticed he stretched his fingers from their fist and tightly gripped the chair arms. Jackie slowly sat sunk down into her chair, fighting every urge to run into Steven's arms, to slap him across the face, to start yelling.

"Tad and I should be finished soon."

"Cool, don't worry about me I can wait until you're done."

Tad started babbling on about the class but Jackie wasn't paying attention. She was just starring at Steven and he was starring at Tad. She realized how unobservant Tad was. Couldn't he feel the tension in the room? Didn't he feel the slightest bit uncomfortable?

A half an hour later Tad was packing up his stuff and heading out; Jackie felt like it had been hours though. She braced herself as she closed the door behind him and slowly turned the bolt lock. She was scared of what the rest of the night would hold. What was Steven doing here? What did he want?

"Man why do you always attract the dumb ones? That guy could have been Kelso's twin."

"For you information he is very…. Ugh whatever. Why are you here Steven?"

"What do you mean why am I here? I'm here to see my girlfriend."

"You're girlfriend?! Steven you broke up with me. You made love to me and then left. You haven't called. You abandoned me for your stupid burner life in Point Place."

"Jackie, I know you are upset with me. I know you've called the Forman's house every night and hung up every time. Would you have answered if I called?"

Jackie didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she was being honest.

"I don't know."

"Jackie I didn't break up with you. I'm unhappy but not with you."

"Steven, you can't just walk away and except me to know what's going on." She jabbed her finger at his chest, "You can't expect to walk in here and have me pretend like everything is okay. You're an idiot if you think what you did wasn't a breakup."

Steven grabbed her finger she had jabbed in his chest, wrapping his hand around hers and pulling her toward him. He removed the glasses from his face and hung them on his shirt. His blue eyes were sad and scared.

"Jackie, I'm sorry. I love you. I want to be with you but I don't think I can stay here."

"Well Steven that's just not going to work for me. You didn't try to talk to me about it. You had already made up your mind. For God's sake you paid all the rent on the apartment and moved your stuff out while I was at school. What the hell about that says, 'I love you and I want to be with you?!'"

Jackie remembered they stayed up all night fighting and found no resolution. Steven was depressed. Jackie had lost the trust she has placed in him. As the sun began to rise she realized how tired she was. Her eyes felt bloodshot. Her face was sore from crying. Her throat was dry from yelling. She imagined she looked like hell. Steven did. His hair was a mess. He had probably ran his hands through it a thousand times.

"Ugh, Steven we aren't getting anywhere." Jackie signed as she sunk into the sofa, resting her head in her hands.

"Wanna burn?" Steven said as he pulled a joint from his back pocket and lit it.

Jackie could just punch him sometimes. "I have a job, Steven, and classes to go to."

"Okay I'll make you a pot of coffee." He said as he walked to the kitchen, inhaling deeply on the joint sticking to his damp lips.

Jackie sat on the floor in the shower, letting the hot water scorch her skin. She realized she hated herself because she was far from letting Steven walk out of her life. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why do I love him so much?_


	8. Immigrant Song

I have really been feeling inspired! I've known where I wanted this story to go since I've started but sometimes the writing bug isn't always there. I want to give a shout out to "November Rain" by luvcali, I loved the story so much and if you haven't has a chance to read it you should! It really gave me some inspiration to start back up again. Also I've been listening to the band Greta van Fleet, they are amazing and feed my love for 70s rock. So check them out if you're into that style! Hope you all enjoy this story and I hope to have more up soon, please let me know what you think!

Chapter 8: Immigrant Song

 _We come from the land of the ice and snow  
From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow  
The hammer of the gods  
W'ell drive our ships to new lands  
To fight the horde, and sing and cry  
Valhalla, I am coming!_

 _On we sweep with threshing oar  
Our only goal will be the western shore_

Jackie's eyes shifted to the framed dollar bill. She smiled with pride and gratitude, remembering the feeling when the first sale had been made. The whole idea was a shot in the dark and Jackie had bet everything on it working. She would be putting aside her job at the boutique where she had become a manager. Plus the whole plan banked on Steven and her working out. Committing to one another.

Steven had always been skittish when it came to talk of the future, of getting married. He typically got irritated if she mentioned it and only had brought it up a few times himself, making sure to only mention in when it couldn't lead to a future discussion… like when he was walking her down the isle at their friend's weddings. But she wasn't asking him for marriage but this seemed almost as big of a commitment.

But that night gave her the courage to ask him. Following the wedding, her plan was in full motion. She finally had the last part she needed. She had confirmed her graduation date and she thought she finally knew what he wanted.

As she walked home she kept chewing on her lip, trying to figure how exactly she could present her plan. She stopped at the liquor store on the corner and bought a bottle of wine and when she got home she made the nicest meal she knew how… spaghetti with bread and butter.

She had everything planned. Dinner on the table. A candle burning. The wine opened, just waiting to be poured. Jackie could still remember the look on his face when he walked in the door and pulled his shades off hooking them into the collar of his shirt.

Less than a year later, Jackie was riding shotgun. The windows were rolled down and her perfectly manicured feet hung out the window. The world opened up before her and her dark aviators colored the landscape sepia. She had always imagined herself in New York or Chicago or Dallas, never for a second giving a thought to west. It was desolate country, few people, few cars, flat land with mountains far in the distance.

She loved it, every minute. She loved the boy next to her even more. She hadn't seen Steven this happy in years. A grin spread across his face, his lips whispering the words to the song coming through the radio. Her glasses matched his for the first time, letting their worlds be colored the same hue. She caught him out of the corner of her eye stealing glances at her and the corners of his mouth turning up even more every time.

For the first time they were on the same page, looking at the same things, with the same goal. She thought that this could even be better than a proposal, a wedding, a husband. And if this is what she would get she would take it. She wouldn't let Steven go again. She didn't think she could survive a second time without him.


	9. Don't Go Breaking my Heart

Chapter 9: Don't go breaking my heart

 _Don't go breaking my heart  
I couldn't if I tried  
Honey if I get restless  
Baby you're not that kind_

 _Don't go breaking my heart  
You take the weight off me  
Honey when you knock on my door  
I gave you my key_

Jackie walked home later that afternoon dreading what she would find back at her apartment. On one hand, she has no desire for Steven to be there considering that they had spent the entire night fighting with no resolution. However, if he wasn't there she figured that meant he had given up. She took her time, taking in the crisp air and the changing leaves on the trees. She even took the long way home through the park and stopped at a bench to watch a couple play with their toddler.

She had always imagined that someday down the road, Steven would trade in his hippie, free spirit, orphan boy life and marry her. That they would have a few kids, live in the suburbs, work for the man. Most people close to Steven couldn't imagine Steven as a husband let alone a father. Ms. Forman laughed one time when Jackie mentioned it during a girls night. But Jackie knew him differently. She had seen him be kind and caring, nurturing and protective. When her mom skipped town and her dad was in prison, Steven snuck Jackie into his room every night to sleep until they got caught. Mr. Forman had accused Steven of taking advantage of Jackie and she heard from Eric that he had scolded Steven for doing dirty things with his girlfriend while the rest of the family was sleeping. The truth was, Steven rarely got any action during those few weeks, most nights Jackie ended up crying herself to sleep as he held her tight whispering in her ear that it was going to be okay. Steven knew what it felt like to be abandoned by his parents.

Finally Jackie pulled herself away from the bench and made her way home. She stood outside the apartment door, eyes closed she took a deep breath before leaning her ear against the door in an attempt to hear if anyone was inside. Either the door was too thick or no one was home. She opened the door to a dimly lit, silent room. She didn't see or hear a sign of Steven. She dropped her bag on the couch and made her way to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Opening the fridge door to grab the pitcher, Jackie noticed an assortment of pirex. Steven had cooked for her, she figured he must have noticed the lack of food in the house. Her stomach grumbled as she realized she had been mainly living off coffee, chips and salsa, cereal, and spaghetti since Steven had gone back to Point Place.

On top of everything was a covered plate of food, Jackie smiled as she pulled it out and saw the "dinner" scrawled on a note with a small heart. She popped it in the microwave and sighed. Even without Steven here she could feel his presence. The Steven touch. She could smell the earthy smell of weed lingering in the air mixed with the scent of her lavender candles that Steven secretly loved. When she finished her dinner, she washed her plate and glanced at the clock. It was only 7, but she was exhausted.

As she opened the bedroom door, she made out a lump under the covers and realized a smile grew across her face. She stripped down to her panties and pulled one of Steven's ratty tee shirts over her head. He began to stir as she crawled into bed next to him. Without even opening his eyes, he kissed her cheek and whispered "I'm sorry, I love you", wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulling her into him. Jackie felt one large tear roll down her cheek and hit the pillow as she fell asleep.

Jackie's head hit the back of the wall, she again felt a large tear roll down her cheek as she thought back on that young girl whose heart was broken into a million pieces. That night was the beginning of many. Steven broke her heart during the day and then would try to repair it laying next to her at night.

She wiped the tear from her face and her lips tightened into a line. It had been 19 years; it was time to stop acting so foolish over the past. She glanced over to the shelf under the TV and saw the row of photo albums filled with memories of her life and family she built over the past years. She hopped off the couch and grabbed the album labeled 1978-1982. She was determined to relive it all, to look back on the good and bad knowing it made her the mom and wife and friend she was today. And those were some good years, it was just what she needed to remember.

The first page she flipped to had pictures from Jackie's first day of her senior year. Steven had given her a camera from the Foto Hut and she remembered making Fez take pictures of her in her cheerleading uniform on the first day. She had her backpack slung across one shoulder and a stack of books in her hand. She was standing in the Pinciotti's driveway.

She flipped through a few more pages and saw a picture she had forgot existed entirely. It was Thanksgiving at the Forman's house. Fez must have taken it, he was always trying to get romantic pictures of her and Steven or Donna and Eric. Jackie still wasn't sure if it was to be thoughtful or creepy… especially when she found some of her and Steven going a little too far on the couch in the basement that were taken from inside the shower. The picture was of her and Steven lounging on the stairs, chatting. Steven had a beer in one hand and the other on her knee. They looked so in love and completely unaware of anything or anyone around them.

Jackie giggled because the picture really reminded her of the all the holiday sex, party sex, sneaky sex. Jackie was more like Steven than most people knew. She got turned on by Steven's bad boy behavior. And nothing was more hot to her than sneaking down to his basement room and having sex so good she couldn't stay quiet, all while a party was going on upstairs. Steven knew it too. He would tease Jackie throughout the cocktail party by whispering dirty things in her ear and then he would touch her at the dinner table where no one could see. Jackie didn't know sex could be so good.

She placed the album on the coffee table and laid down on the couch. Closing her eyes she let herself be taken back to 1978 on the Forman's stairs, staring into the eyes of her sexy bearded boyfriend…


	10. Those were the best days of my life

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I've posted a new chapter. I started a PhD program and moved across the country in the last year. I'm really excited to keep writing this story and hope you guys like this chapter. I think I may up the rating on the story to M if isn't at that already. I also was wondering if anyone had interest in another story I've been working on... it picks up where a previous fan fic Hyde and Jackie story leave off that was never finished. It looks like it hasn't been updated in over 10 years. Anyways please leave a comment or send me a message! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter... I already have ideas for the next two and I'm so excited! xoxo Jacks

 **Chapter 10: Those were the best days of my life**

 _Man we were killin' time_  
 _We were young and restless_  
 _We needed to unwind_  
 _I guess nothin' can last forever - forever, no_

 _Standin' on your mama's porch_  
 _You told me it would last forever_  
 _Oh the way you held my hand_  
 _I knew that it was now or never_  
 _Those were the best days of my life_

~1978~

Jackie scooted and hopped, tucking her hands under her bum and smoothing her skirt out. The Forman's yucky shag carpeting was scratching her smooth skin and she did not need to have some gross rash burn when Steven ripped her clothes off later.

"Jackie, are you listening?"

"Yes, of course I am Steven," she responded as she rested her head on his shoulder and continued to listen to him rattle off about Jonestown. It had only been about a week since the incident has occurred and the story littered the front page of every newspaper and was talked about on every night time news show.

Even though Steven was the farthest thing from Jackie's father, they both enjoyed keeping up with the news. From a small age, Jackie had sat with her father and read the paper in the evening when he had his nightly cigar and her and Steven had fallen into a similar routine. Most nights the two would curl up on Steven's cot and read the paper together as they passed a joint back and forth. They never talked about the news that night but when Steven drove Jackie to school in the morning they would listen to the local NPR station and discuss.

Jackie traced a circle on Steven's knee cap, "I just don't see how anyone could call it a suicide Steven. I mean poisoned Flavor Aid is a massacre. Can you imagine dying from Flavor Aid? Not even Kool Aid… but some off-brand garbage. Just like this carpet! Steven, do you feel this? The Forman's really need to upgrade their home."

He shook his head and brushed off her comments as his discussion of the event quickly began to spiral into a series of conspiracy theories, as usual. Jackie wondered if they were reading the same news stories sometimes…

They were interrupted as Kelso walked in the front door with Ms. McGee on his arm.

"Steven! Is that who I think it is?" Jackie whispered loudly in his ear.

He quickly chugged the rest of his beer. "Dear god, I hope so," Steven patted her knee, hopped up, and ran down the stairs to get to the action. Jackie trailed behind with her fingers looped in Steven's belt loop.

The dinner conversation consisted of Mrs. Forman drilling Ms. McGee about why she was dating a student while Kelso continued to discuss the intimate details of their relationship. Steven and Jackie tag teamed to get math class brought up since Eric's parents still didn't know he was failing. Despite being a year younger, Jackie and Eric were in the same math class and Jackie knew that Eric wasn't even trying. She also had caught him trying to copy her homework a few times. After he had made fun of her for being a "goody-two-shoes" and doing homework on Saturday she wanted to take him down. Not to mention he constantly whispered in her ear weird remarks about Ms. McGee since Kelso had started sleeping with her. _What a total freak._

Eric kept deflecting, Red grew more and more suspicious, Steven's smile grew wider and wider, and Jackie got hornier. She couldn't help it; she loved being on the same team as Steven after all those years of fighting. They were both feisty, argumentative, and "devil spawn" as Eric Forman would say. When they teamed up they never lost. And boy would this be a burn.

"So Ms. McGee, I am just SO enjoying your class. Even Eric is really enjoying it and he hates math. I mean can you believe it, you got Eric Forman to enjoy math!"

"Well… I… that's quite the shock."

"Oh really? And why would that be?" Red asked mid scoop of mashed potatoes.

"Oh boy! Guys," Eric's voice began to squeak, "the Pilgrims did not travel all this way, survive a frigid winter, and make friends with a bunch of natives trying to kill them for us to talk about math!"

"Isn't Thanksgiving all about giving thanks for the things we love? See I love Zeppelin which is why I'm wearing this shirt, Kelso loves doing the dirty which is why he brought Ms. McGee, Jackie loves me which is why she's feeling up my ass, and Eric loves math which is why he's going to share all about his favorite class!"

"STEVEN!" Jackie reached her hand up and smacked him upside the head.

"I'm sorry… I know this is a little uncomfortable but I would rather not talk about my, ummm, relationship with Michael or Eric's failing grade. I would be more than happy to schedule a phone call about it though Mr. Forman." Ms. McGee responded with her eyes darting between her and Kelso's plate.

"YOU'RE FAILING MATH ERIC?" Red jumped out of his seat and slammed his beer on the table.

Jackie looked up to see Ms. Forman down the rest of her glass of wine as Steven leaned over and whispered in her ear, "That's our cue to leave doll."

"As the Forman family erupted, Jackie and Steven popped out of their seats and ran to the Hyde's room in the basement.

~1999~

Jackie's eyes popped open and she realized she was sitting in the middle of her couch, in her perfectly curated living room, in the house she lived in with her husband and children. Her baby hairs were sticking to the sweat forming on the back of her neck and she pulled her knees to her chest as she felt a growing tingle of warmth spread through her body. Was she really getting turned on by a memory of having sex with her boyfriend 12 years ago?

She dropped her bowl off in the sink as she made her way to her bed again. Crawling under the sheets and pulling the puffy comforter up around her, she let her mind wander… what would it hurt to relive a few romps from her past in a little basement room?


	11. Fire and Rain

This chapter is rated M and is a little smutty... sorry to those of you who aren't into that sort of thing... for those who are... enjoy!

 **Chapter 11: Fire and Rain**

 _Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun  
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around  
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things  
To come  
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground_

 _Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain  
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end  
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend  
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again, now_

"Steven!" Jackie squealed as they ran down the basement stairs, her hands gripping the sides of his waist. As they neared the bottom of the staircase, Steven turned and hurled her over his shoulder and smacked her rear. She could hear Kitty and Ms. McGee arguing while Kelso pleaded with Kitty to not call his mother, Red and Eric yelled back and forth while Donna attempted to back Eric up.

Jackie grinned wide as the blood rushed to her head and in between her thighs. Steven flipped her on to the couch and climbed on top of her, positioning one leg in between her thigh and the back of the couch and the other between her legs. He wrapped one arm around her lower waist and the other hand made his way through her hair and their lips met. Jackie grabbed the sides of his face as she rose her body to meet his.

She could feel Steven grow hard as his jeans pushed against her leg. His kisses were desperate and rough. His beard scratched her face and even though she had complained about it a billion times she secretly loved it. It had made Steven even hotter than he already was.

Steven's hand moved lower and started yanking at her dress and pulling it up around her hips and waist. She mimicked his thoughts and pulled his shirt off and took the opportunity to run her hands along the sides of his defined body.

Above their heads the yelling continued, when Jackie heard a door slam she pulled herself away from his lips, "Bedroom?"

They both leaped off the back of the couch and rushed toward Steven's little room just as heavy footsteps came down the basement stairs. Jackie pulled the door closed behind her and Steven pinned her against it, wrapping one of her legs around him and yanking her dress up. As their lips met again, Steven's hand found its way between Jackie legs.

She felt his lips spread into a smile as he realized how wet she was for him already. He didn't even both to take her panties, he pushed them to the side as he began to trace circles with his thumb as his fingers found their way inside her.

Her breath quickened as she bit her lip and tried to drown out Eric and Donna's voices. Her head hit the back of the door as Steven's mouth found her neck. _How could he multitask like this?_ Just as she felt herself about to release, Steven withdrew from her. Her eyes popped open to meet his devilish grin. She reached for his belt buckle as his pulled her dress over her head. They separated and pulled off their own undergarments as they made their way to Steven's little cot.

Jackie dropped to her knees before he would sit down and took him in her mouth. It wasn't too long before Steven couldn't help himself. He laid her down and entered her, slowly at first, teasing her with how good he felt. She had no idea how much she enjoyed sex until she has slept with Steven.

She wrapper her arms and legs around him and whispered in his ear as his pace increased.

When she closed her eyes, she wasn't in the Forman's basement anymore. She couldn't hear Red and Kitty fighting above them or Eric whining on the basement couch to Donna. She didn't think about her big empty house or her dad in jail. She forgot every awkward sexual encounter she had with some dumb high school boy who didn't know what to do with hands or his dick.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the Forman's basement anymore. She was in her bed, alone, with hearts in her eyes for an 18 year old Steven Hyde.

She sat up and pulled her legs to her chest. _How come it all feels like yesterday? Every single moment… the good ones feel just as good still and the bad ones feel just as terrible._ She still, after all these years, couldn't wrap her head around loving someone so much, knowing the things about them that sometimes they didn't even know themselves, feeling at home in another person but all the while hurting each other and pushing one another away.


End file.
